At last, Taylor Swift’s1989 (Taylor’s Version) has arrived. While fans have heard all the base album tracks before (the original recordings, anyway), there’s some new stuff to dig into via the “From The Vault” tracks. A few hours removed from the album’s release, fans have thoughts about one of the new songs in particular: “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault).”
Is “Is It Over Now?” about Harry Styles?
Fans have long thought that Styles is all over 1989, as two of the album’s biggest hits, “Wildest Dreams” and “Style,” are both rumored to be about the former One Direction member. Now, Swifties think there’s even more where that came from on “Is It Over Now?.”
Since the song’s release, social media has been full of fans speculating the song is about Styles. The lyric annotations on the song’s Genius page is a good source for these theories, too.
Some connections are made between the new song and the aforementioned “Style” and “Wildest Dreams.” Some believe the lyric “Once the flight had flown” is a reference to the matching paper airplane necklaces Swift and Styles used to wear. Others think the line “Whеn you lost control / Red blood, white snow” is about a snowmobile accident the two had.
Check out some social media reactions below.
Harry styles listening to “Is It Over Now?” thinking he was safe from the rerecordings pic.twitter.com/M9VkAiql94
Halloween weekend is upon us. And unless you’re 12 and reading this while you should be doing kid stuff…. it’s pretty likely you’ll have a drink in your hand at some point this weekend. So let’s make it a great drink, right?
When it comes to the bourbon, I’m using a classic spicy sweet Kentucky bourbon with a nice hint of dark fruit and citrus, Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The best part is that this is a very easily found and very affordable bourbon. It also always makes a killer cocktail.
Next, you want to use Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao. It adds a deep orange vibe with an orange blossom feel to it that just works wonders in a cocktail. You can use a triple sec in a pinch, but you won’t get the same depth or texture.
Likewise, get a good dark chocolate bar. I’m using Ghirardelli 72% simply because I have one. If you want to go full Chocolate Orange, get the Lindt Intense Orange Dark Chocolate. Or if you really want to go all in, use an actual Chocolate Orange. I like using good dark chocolate to let that meld with the orange oils naturally on the drink.
Lastly, you should be able to find chocolate bitters at any good liquor store.
Zach Johnston
What You’ll Need:
Rocks glass (prechilled)
Cocktail mixing glass
Cocktail strainer
Barspoon
Paring knife
Box grater or microplane
Zach Johnston
Method:
Prechill the rocks glass in the freezer.
Add the bourbon, Dry Curaçao, and chocolate bitters to the cocktail glass with a large handful of ice. Use the barspoon to stir the cocktail until the glass is ice-cold to touch (about 20-30 seconds).
Finely grate about a tablespoon of the dark chocolate.
Fetch the glass from the freezer. Thinly slice an orange peel from the orange and then slice off the end of the orange. Use the end slice to wet a section of the rocks glass and then drip the wetted edge of the glass into the finely grated dark chocolate. Add the large ice cube to the glass.
Strain the cocktail into the glass. Express the oils from the orange peel over the glass and then drop it into the cocktail. Serve.
Bottom Line on the Chocolate Orange Bourbon Old Fashioned
Zach Johnston
This is a lush and very tasty sipper. Dry Curaçao adds a wonderfully silken texture to the cocktail that you simply don’t get with simple syrup or sugar in old fashioneds. It also adds a deep yet light and airy orange depth that’s perfectly accented by the dark chocolate vibes. The bourbon shines through with hints of clove and dark orange rinds next to a hint of nuttiness and vanilla.
This is a great old fashioned and has just the right amount of chocolate candy vibes to feel like Halloween in a glass. That dusting of dark chocolate on the rim helps this feel extra Halloween candy-forward!
Donald Trump refuses to shut his trap, and it’s costing him. The former president has been fined twice for violating gag orders during his New York civil fraud trial. “If we had a jury it would have been fair, at least — even if it was a somewhat negative jury — because no negative jury would vote against me,” he said this week, resulting in a $10,000 penalty. “But this judge will. Because this judge is a very partisan judge, with a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside of him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is.”
Trump has also been blabbing on Truth Social. On Thursday, he posted, “The Judge in the New York State A.G. case refuses to accept the overturning of his decisions by the Appeals Court. This is a first in the history of the State! HE HAS GONE CRAZY IN HIS HATRED OF ‘TRUMP.’”
Why did Trump put his last name in quotes? No clue, but as Jimmy Kimmel pointed out during last night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, “If you really want to shut Trump up, you don’t threaten him with jail time or fines. Threaten him with Eric time. Trust me.” He added, “Put him in a room with Eric, he’ll clam up like he’s at a brunch with Melania.”
It’s been seven hours. Time for Taylor Swift to drop a new album.
The pop star released the Taylor’s Version of 1989 at midnight. Before the clock struck 9 a.m. EST, she announced a deluxe edition of the album, featuring a remix of “Bad Blood” with Kendrick Lamar.
“Watching @kendricklamar create and record his verses on the Bad Blood remix was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life. I still look back on this collaboration with so much pride and gratitude, for the ways Kendrick elevated the song and the way he treats everyone around him,” Swift wrote on X. “Every time the crowds on The Eras Tour would chant his line ‘you forgive, you forget, but you never let it… go!’, I smiled.”
Watching @kendricklamar create and record his verses on the Bad Blood remix was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life. I still look back on this collaboration with so much pride and gratitude, for the ways Kendrick elevated the song and the way he treats everyone… pic.twitter.com/au2PNAjHfx
She continued, “The reality that Kendrick would go back in and re-record Bad Blood so that I could reclaim and own this work I’m so proud of is surreal and bewildering to me. I’m overjoyed to say that the Bad Blood Remix (featuring Kendrick Lamar) is available everywhere on the 1989 Deluxe Edition.”
The deluxe edition of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is the same as the “normal” 1989 (Taylor’s Version), including five new vault tracks, just with the “Bad Blood” as the final song. You can listen below.
Very rarely… like VERY rarely… a bottle of whiskey comes along and completely changes the whole game. Well, today is that day. Buffalo Trace released a true game changer — a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey that will shift how whiskey is aged, sold, and enjoyed.
The whiskey? Eagle Rare 25 Bourbon.
This 25-year-old straight bourbon is an anomaly. It’s extremely rare that a bourbon — or any whiskey from the United States — is good at 25 years old. The interaction of wood and liquid combined with a severed rate of evaporation (the angel’s share) usually leads to overly tannic and astringent whiskey when left to mature for that long. “Overoaked” would be an understatement. But the team at Buffalo Trace Distillery (where Eagle Rare is made), led by Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley, seems to have outsmarted the barrel.
Not only did they figure out how to age bourbon for a quarter of a century, but they found that the whiskey changed drastically between 20, 23, and 25 years in the barrel. And it never gets too woody.
I was lucky enough to tour Warehouse P at Buffalo Trace a few weeks ago and taste Eagle Rare 25 Bourbon for the first time. What’s happening here is that Wheatley and team spent millions of dollars on an encased warehouse within a larger warehouse that allows them to adjust everything from the humidity to atmospheric pressure to the breeze going through the place (and the temp of course). This allowed them to age a 20-year-old barrel of Eagle Rare (which might have gone into Double Eagle) for another five years.
It was astounding. That high level of scientific control of the atmosphere shifted the whiskey away from the overly tannic or bitter oakiness that comes with age toward … a svelte, sweet, and lush bourbon unlike any other I’ve ever tasted. And certainly nothing like any other bourbon over 20 years old.
I’ve had the Pappy Van Winkle 25-year Decanter, and it’s an oak bomb with mild Pappy notes underneath massive waves of bitterness. The 23-Year Pappy is an oak bomb with huge spice bark notes that are hard to get past. Hell, even the 20-Year Pappy and Double Eagle Rare (also 20 years old) are very tannic and oaky and certainly not for everyone. This, on the other hand, is a lush and silken bourbon with hints of old oak accenting quintessential bourbon depth.
It’s mind-boggling, it’s game-changing, and it’s important. Okay, that’s enough preamble. Let’s get into what’s actually in this bottle of whiskey.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
Eagle Rare Straight Bourbon is made from Mash Bill #1 at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. That’s their low-rye mash bill, and that’s all that’s known about the juice. That whiskey was then left to rest for nearly two decades in a warehouse before being moved into Buffalo Trace’s new state-of-the-art Warehouse P facility. When the whiskey hit 25 years old, something magical happened to the barrel and it was ready for bottling.
The single barrel was proofed down to Eagle Rare’s 101-proof and otherwise bottled as-is, yielding only 200 bottles. The bottle is also a collectible with a hand-hammered sterling silver eagle wing wrapped around a hand-blown crystal decanter. That striking bottle comes in a custom display box that opens like an eagle’s wings.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose hints at old oak staves resting in a musty warehouse before veering toward stewed cherries with hints of clove and nutmeg next to salted dark chocolate shavings and rich powdered sugar icing cut with bourbon vanilla and light pipe tobacco essences with a whisper of fall leaves and orchard barks.
Palate: The rich vanilla gets buttery and creamy with an almost eggnog vibe thanks to the spice on the lush palate has dried cranberry, brandy-soaked cherry, and dried figs lead to rich toffee rolled in dark chocolate and anise before getting cut with a touch of earthy tobacco pulled from fresh black dirt.
Finish: The finish hugs you gently with warmth tied to winter spice barks soaked in apple cider cut with black cherry as the dirt takes on a warehouse must with gently sweet oak staves mingle with a whisper of whole black pepper and clove buds over creamy dark orange spice cake.
Bottom Line:
F*cking amazing. It’s baffling that this is 25 years old and has this level of soft lush creaminess. It’s not dry at all. There’s not a moment of overoakedness. It’s just brilliant whiskey. Truly.
Ranking:
100/100 — This is a one-of-one whiskey for the ages.
Where To Buy:
Buffalo Trace will be shipping bottles to select retailers, bars, and restaurants in early November 2023. Good luck!
Throughout her career, and in recent years especially, Taylor Swift has absolutely not missed. She keeps pumping out No. 1 singles and albums, her Taylor’s Version series of rerecorded albums has been a major hit, and The Eras Tour is the live entertainment event of the year (and it’s owning movie theaters right now, too). It turns out all these endeavors have been pretty lucrative, to the point that Bloomberg reports Swift is now officially a billionaire.
According to their analysis, Swift currently has a net worth of about $1.1 billion. Per the publication, the breakdown for where this all comes from is $400 million from her music catalog since 2019, $370 million from concert ticket sales and merchandise, $120 million from Spotify and YouTube streams, $110 million from the value of her five personal properties, and $80 million from royalties from music sales.
(WARNING: Spoilers for the most recent The Chi episode will be found below.)
The Chi returned for season six at the beginning of August. The new season was set to be an “expanded” season with a total of 16 episodes split into two halves. The first eight episodes premiered on a weekly basis and concluded with the departure of Kevin, played by Alex R. Hibbert. Kevin was one of the main characters on The Chi and had been on the show since its start. It turns out that Kevin’s departure would be permanent as Hibbert also said goodbye to his fellow actors and fans of the show, but what was the reason behind his departure?
Why Did Kevin Leave The Chi?
Hibbert shared a lengthy Instagram post that waved goodbye to The Chi once and for all. Though a clear explanation for his departure was not given, he did hint at what was next for him in the future. In the post, he wrote that he would “carry” the “lessons” he learned on the series “with me as I move on to new projects.” Those new projects include upcoming roles in the movies Story Ave and Good Burger 2 which will be released on September 29 and November 22, respectively.
You can read Hibbert’s full message from his Instagram post below.
Dear fans and viewers,
It brought tears to my eyes just writing this. As some of you may already know, today marks my departure from THE CHI. This show has been such an important part of my life and I’m forever grateful to the people that watched me grow up on camera in front of your eyes for several years. It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to my castmates, crew members, and all of you who have supported me and throughout this incredible journey. Working on this show has been an unforgettable experience, and I am grateful for all the opportunities it has brought me. I have learned so much from my time here, and I will carry those lessons with me as I move on to new projects. To the fans who have followed me and my character’s journey, your unwavering support and love have been the driving force behind my work. I am humbled and honored to have been able to bring this character to life and share [Kevin’s] story with you. While I may be leaving this show, I am excited about what the future holds. I look forward to continuing to create meaningful and impactful work that resonates with audiences around the world. Once again, thank you for everything. I will miss this show and most importantly I’m going to miss Kevin, but I will cherish the memories and experiences forever.
Sincerely, Alex R. Hibbert
New episodes of ‘The Chi’ will soon be available through the Paramount Plus With Showtime plan on Fridays at 3am EST/ 12 pm PST. Weekly episodes will also air Sundays on Showtime at 9pm EST/PST.
We are just weeks away from The Kid Laroi‘s much-anticipated debut album, The First Time. Last week, we got a new taste from the album with “Too Much,” a collaboration with Jung Kook and Central Cee. Tonight (October 27), Laroi has shared a new single, “What Just Happened,” a fan-favorite he’s been performing on tour.
On “What Just Happened,” Laroi finds himself in trouble after a night under the influence. He is distraught after an argument with his girlfriend, which took place while he had been drinking, and addresses his shortcomings over a pop-rock-inspired track.
“Lost in a dark place / And I called when I was wasted, and what did I say to you? / Uh, all I remember was how the liquor tasted / Then I woke up in my bed tryna retrace it,” he sings on one of the song’s verses, showcasing his evolved lyrical and vocal stylings.
In the song’s accompanying video, Laroi and a group of his friends are seen in the woods, taking a special trip. Distorted images and hallucinations seem to offer Laroi some clarity.
You can see the video for “What Just Happened” above.
The First Time is out 11/10 via Columbia Records. Find more information here.
Over the years, Taylor Swift‘s dating life has been fodder for tabloids — and she’s been called every name under the sun. But on a new vault track from 1989 (Taylor’s Version) — out tonight — she is unfazed by any haters trying to bring her down.
On the smooth, downtempo “Slut!,” Swift finds joy in the company of a newfound love, and disregards what anyone else has to say.
“If I’m all dressed up / They might as well be lookin’ at us / And if they call me a slut / You know it might be worth it for once / And if I’m gonna be drunk / I might as well be drunk in love,” she sings on the song’s chorus.
While the song’s title may be a bit provocative, this isn’t the first time Swift has addressed slut-shaming. In a 73 questions interview with Vogue, which took place around the release of 1989 in 2014, Swift said despite being labeled a serial dater, she had no regrets about her dating life, even if it made her the subject of many a rumor.
“If I could talk to my 19-year-old self, I’d just say, ‘Hey, you’re gonna date just like a normal 20-something should be allowed to, but you’re gonna be a national lightning rod for slut-shaming,’” said Swift at the time.
You can listen to “Slut!” above.
1989 (Taylor’s Version) is out now via Republic. Find more information here.
Taylor Swift is always watching — whether she lets you know it, or not. As Swifties know, the “Karma” hitmaker is very intentional about dropping hints and Easter eggs in her visuals, her lyrics, and in her performances. But because of her craft and cleverness, fans have also dived deeper into her work and come up with theories of their own. Whether these theories are sound or completely arbitrary, Swift is making it clear how she feels about people discussing her personal life.
Over the years, a subcommunity of Swifties — who call themselves “gaylors” — have often taken to Twitter, Tumblr, and TikTok to share theories that Swift might be secretly queer. The gaylors often pull lines from Swift’s lyrics, as well as old social media posts, as evidence to their theories. In the prologue for physical editions of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), out now, Swift expresses her disdain for rumors about her links to people of any gender.
Is Taylor Swift’s ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ prologue a message to ‘gaylor’ fans?
In the album’s prologue, found in the liner notes, Swift said that during the 1989 era, she had grown frustrated with people romantically linking her to anyone she was seen out in public with.
“Being a consummate optimist, I assumed I could fix this if I simply changed my behavior,” she wrote. “I swore off dating and decided to focus only on myself, my music, my growth, and my female friendships. If I only hung out with my female friends, people couldn’t sensationalize or sexualize that—right? I would learn later on that people could and people would.”
This isn’t the first time she’s addressed these rumors. Back in 2014, when the 1989 era began, she posted a tweet, reading, “As my 25th birthday present from the media, I’d like for you to stop accusing all of my friends of dating me. #Thirsty”
Taylor was very clear NINE years ago that she’s didn’t want to be shipped with her female friends but gaylors have ignored her & done it every day since. i hope they feel ashamed! https://t.co/R2MkdtEGyopic.twitter.com/0CyCrsG23e
In neither writing did she call out gaylors specifically, however, it is clear that she is fed up with rumors about her romantic life.
1989 (Taylor’s Version) is out now via Republic. Find more information here.
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(@girIathome13) October 27, 2023
